Container for shipping, storing and dispensing sheet material in predetermined lengths



July 23, 1963 J M. WILLIAMSON CONTAINER FOR SHII5PING, STORING AND DISPENSING SHEET Filed Jan. 23, 1961 MATERIAL IN PREDETERMINED LENGTHS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JOHN M. WILLIAMSON ATTORNEY 23, 1963 J. M. WILLIAMSON 3, 94

CONTAINER FOR SHIPPING. STORING AND DISPENSING SHEET 1 MATERIAL IN PREDETERMINED LENGTHS Filed Jan. 23. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JOHN M.W|LLIAMSON BY 6 .944? W ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,098,594 CONTAINER FOR SHIPPING, STORING AND DES- PENSING SHEET MATERIAL IN PREDETER- MINEI) LENGTHS John M. Williamson, Rochester, N.Y., assignor to National Distillers and Chemical Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Virginia Filed Jan. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 84,348 3 Claims. (CI. 225-48) This invention relates to the packaging of sheet ma terial 'and to the dispensing thereof from a continuous strip, whether in roll or other form. More particularly, the invention relates to a novel container for the shipping and storing of a continuous length of such material and to the dispensing thereof in predetermined lengths.

It is a major object of the present invention to provide a novel container in which a continuous length of prefabricated sheet material, whether in roll or zig-zag or other folded form, may be conveniently packaged for shipment and storage and from which such material may he dispensed readily in predetermined lengths, the com mercial requirements of such a container including economy of manufacture, ease of assembly, and inherent strength to withstand nomal handling until the contents have been exhausted.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel container which will permit the successive ready withdrawal of a predetermined length of packaged material and insure the automatic severance thereof from the source of supply.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a novel container tor the packaging, shipping, storing and dispensing of successive predetermined lengths of plastic film from a roll or other package thereof, such film being either in sheet form or pro-fabricated into sealed bag-like containers disposed in unitary end-to-end relationship.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a blank of sheet material, such as cardboard or the like, which when set up will produce a shipping, storing and dispensing container constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view of one embodiment of continuous sheet material especially designed for dispensing in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is aperspective view of the shipping, storing and dispensing container of FIGURE 1 illustrating a portion of a continuous roll of sheet material being withdrawn therefrom;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 3, a predetermined length of material having been withdrawn from the carton or container to severing position;

FIGURE 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of shipping, storing and dispensing container, the cover thereof being in partially opened position;

FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 are perspective views of still further modified forms of shipping, storing and dispensing containers constructed in accordance with the present invention.

As shown in the drawing, particular reference being had to FIGURE 1 thereof, a novel carton or container C for shipping, storing and dispensing predetermined lengths of sheet material which has been prepared in continuous roll or folded form, may be produced or set up from a blank of suitable sheet material, such :as cardboard or the like.

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Desirably this blank will include a front wall 10, bottom wall 11, rear wall 12 and top wall or cover 13, suitable score or fold lines being provided between such wall portions. The free edge of the top or cover '13 is provided with a flap portion 14 and this flap portion, in turn, is provided with a reinforcing tab 15 of lesser length intended for adhesive or other attachment to the lower surface of the flap portion, the extending corner portions of the flap being rounded as illustrated at 14a for purposes of convenience in closing and opening the container.

Integral end wall portions 16 are provided on the bottom wall 11 [and each of these end wall portions includes an integral top end flap 17. Each end wall portion 16 also includes a forwardly extending front flap 18 which is intended for adhesive or other attachment to the inner surface of the front wall portion 10 when the container is in set up position. It will be noted that th top edge of each front wall flap 18 is provided with an upwardly extending tab portion 13b for a purpose to be described more fully hereafter. To provide for convenient assembly, suitable score or fold lines are provided between each end wall portion 16, the contiguous bot tom wall portion 11 and the associated top and front flaps 17 and 18. The rear wall portion 12 is provided with contiguous end wall flaps 19 intended for adhesive or other attachment to the inner face of the adjacent end wall portion 16 when the container is in set up position, a suitable score or fold line being provided between the bottom wall portion and each end wall portion.

For convenience of assembly, and nicety of fit, when the container blank is stamped out or otherwise produced, slots 18a may be provided between the front wall flaps 18 and the adjacent edges of the front wall portion 19. Similar slots 19a also may be provided between each end wall flap 19 and the adjacent edge of the end wall portion 16. For related purposes, the score or fold line between the top wall portion 13 and the top flap portion 14 may be notched at the opposed extremities thereof as indicated at 1411.

The upper free edge of the front wall portion 10 is provided with an arresting tab portion 20. Desirably, this arresting tab is centrally located and is formed by notching or cutting away the material of said front wall on either side of the arresting tab as indicated at 21, these notches extending longitudinally along the upper edge of the front wall portion and terminating short of the extremities thereof to provide tab or guide portions 22 having a configuration complementary to that of the tab portions 181) of the front flaps 18. In set-up position, with each front flap 18 secured to the superposed portion of the front wall portion 10, each tab 181) will abut and strengthen its associated tab or guide portion 22.

There has been illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings suitable material for packaging and dispensing from the container described hereabove. Such material, as stated, may be a plastic film in sheet or other form and, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, such material may be a thermoplastic tubular film F flattened to provide front and rear walls and sealed transversely as at S to provide a continuous length of bag-like containers disposed in end-to-end relationship. It will be understood that where uniform spacing is provided between successive seals, each container will be of identical length or size; however, this is not critical to the present invention and bags of random sizes may be produced in a single length of material.

Located adjacent each transverse seal S is a tear or severance line which, desirably, is created by spaced lines of perforations 23 extending inwardly from each edge of the film and united by a centrally located slit or cut 24, it being understood that both the front and rear walls of the film contain such perforations and slit in overlying relationship. It will be obvious that, with the accessible extremity of the tubular film F sealed transversely, severance along the next adjacent tear or severance line, which is located immediately adjacent another transverse seal, will produce a bag-like container having a sealed bottom and an open mouth created by the act of severance.

A suitable supply of film F may be packaged for reception within the container of the present invention by rolling such film upon a core 25 (as shown in FIGURE 5 of the drawings) or such material may be folded upon itself, in zig-zag manner with return bends, the precise manner of storage of material within the container being of secondary importance it being necessary only that the material or contents the so arranged as to be susceptible of ready withdrawal through the dispensing opening of the container. The operation of the dispensing container thus described is particularly simple. The top cover 13 is lifted and the free edge of the material to be dispensed is withdrawn to some slight extent; the cover is then closed with the front flap portion 14 extending downwardly between the free material and the remainder of the supply (as is illustrated clearly in FIGURE 5 of the drawings) the material now being in dispensing position and supported upon the upper edges of the guide portions 22 and arresting tab 20 as also shown in FIGURE 3.

Continued withdrawal of material will result in engagement of the arresting tab 20 within the cut or sl-it 24 at which time forward movement of the mateial is brought to an abrupt stop with the material per se, on each side of the slit 24, coming to rest upon the notched surfaces 21, this position being illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings. Ex-ertion of continued pressure upon the material will result in automatic severance along the spaced lines of perforations 23 and in this manner individual bag-like containers may be successively severed, as desired, from a continuous length thereof.

It will be understood that the length of the slit or cut 24 desirably should be slightly greater than the extent of the centrally located arresting tab 20 and to assist further in the ready engagement between tab and slit, the opposed extremities of the tab may be tapered downwardly as indicated at 20a.

During the act of severance, some small distortion of material takes place whereby the severed portions thereof, along each line of perforations 23, extend outwardly and angularly in overlying relationship with respect to the notches 21 and thus is restrained from dropping out of immediate reach within the container. In this manner the material of the roll (or otherwise packaged material) remains available for grasping whereby withdrawal and severance of the next successive length may be accomplished.

The modified form of shipping, storing and dispensing container illustrated in FIGURE 6 of the drawings includes a front wall portion 30 and a top or cover 31, the remaining wall portions being substantially identical to those of the container illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 5 and thus requiring no further discussion. As illustrated, the upper edge of the front wall portion 30 is provided with a centrally located arresting tab portion 32 and end guide portions 33, notches 34 separating the tab and guide portions.

The top or cover 31 includes a depending front flap portion 35 and end flap portions 36, these front and end flap portions extending outwardly of the container when the cover is in closed position. The bottom edge of the front flap portion is provided with a centrally located arresting tab 37, complementary to the tab 32 of the front wall portion, formed by notching or cutting away the material of the front flap on either side of the tab 37 as indicated at 38, these notches being of somewhat arcuate configuration and terminating short of the extremities of the front flap portion to provide guide portions 39.

With this modified form of container, the cover is lifted and the free extremity of material is drawn outwardly and downwardly so as to overlie the front Wall 3%, such material resting upon upper edges of the arresting tab 32 and guide tabs 33 at which time the cover is closed. Continued withdrawal of material will result in engagement first of the arresting tab 32 of the front wall and then the complementary tab 37 of the cover flap 35 within the slit provided centrally of the severance line. Exertion of continued pressure will result in the automatic severance of a predetermined length of material and the severed edges of the remaining supply will be retained in position for ready grasping so that the operation may be repeated successively when a new stretch of material has cleared the arresting tab 32.

In the modified forms of containers illustrated in FIG- URES 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings it is proposed to locate the dispensing aperture centrally of either the cover or another of the longitudinal wall portions. Assuming, for purposes of simplicity, that the cover is employed for this purpose, the container shown in FIGURE 7 will include a front wall portion 40, cover portion 4 1 and end walls 42. The cover portion is provided with a longitudinally disposed slot 43, of appreciable width, and one edge 44 of this slot is provided with a centrally located arresting tab 45.

In the utilization of this embodiment of dispensing container, it is necessary only to draw the material to be dispensed through the slot 43 and urge the length thereof in the direction of the slot edge 44 and against the tab 45. Continued withdrawal will result in entrance and engagement of the tab within the slitted portion of the tear line and severance of successive lengths may be accomplished with particular ease.

The container illustrated in FIGURE 8 includes a front wall portion 50, cover portion or top 51 and end walls 52. The cover portion is provided with a longitudinally disposed slot 53, of appreciable width, and each edge 54 of this dispensing slot is provided with an arcuate arresting tab 55. It will be noted that these tabs lie in abutting relationship and have complementarily conformed adjoining edge surfaces.

In the utilization of this type of container, material drawn through the slot 53 will be frictionally engaged by the mating arresting tabs 55 until such time as the prefabricated line of severance is reached. At that time the opposed tabs will spread the slit, entering thereinto and bring the withdrawal of material to a stop with automatic severance being accomplished upon exertion of continued stress upon the length being dispensed.

In the modified form of container illustrated in FIG- URE 9 of the drawings, there is provided a front wall portion a top wall portion or cover 61 and end walls 62. The cover portion is provided with a longitudinally disposed dispensing slot 63 of appreciable width and the rear edge 64 of this slot is provided with a centrally located arresting tab 65. The cover or top wall portion also includes an integral front flap portion 66 provided with locking tabs 67 which enter into slots 68 provided in the front wall whereby the cover is maintained closed.

As illustrated, the front wall portion 60 has an integral inwardly extending top flap 69 and the free edge thereof includes a centrally located arresting tab 7 0', which underlies and is complementary to the arresting tab of the cover, and end guide tabs 71, this structure resembling that of the top edge of the front wall portion of the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 5.

Material drawn through the dispensing slot 63 will be frictionally engaged by the opposed tabs 70 and 64- until the severance line is reached. At this time the tab 70 will first enter the slit in the material being dispensed, followed by the tab 64 and with automatic severance of a predetermined length following immediately thereafter.

There has thus been described a novel shipping, storapaaaaa ing and dispensing container of the character contemplated and from which predetermined lengths of sheet material may be dispensed and automatically severed. While in the embodiment of such material illustrated and described, thermoplastic film sealed transversely to provide detachable bags has been exemplified, it will be understood that the inventive concept is not thus limited since film, paper, or other materials in single or multiple sheet or in other pre-fabricated form may be packaged and dispensed in the manner taught with equal facility. Similarly, in connection with the several forms of containers which have been illustrated and described, various structural modifications may be undertaken.

Thus, the invention is not considered limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification and reference is had to the appended claims for summaries of the essential features of the invention including the novel features of construction and novel combinations of parts for all of which protection is desired.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a container for the shipping, storing and successive dispensing of thermoplastic bags of predetermined lengths, and a continuous roll thereof produced from tubular material which has been sealed transversely at spaced intervals and provided with a transversely disposed tear line adjacent each transverse seal, each of said tear lines including a centrally located slit, said container being provided with a dispensing orifice having an edge over which material being dispensed is withdrawn, said edge being provided with a guide tab adjacent each extremity thereof over which material to be withdrawn is supported and also being provided with an integral centrally located arresting tab located in alignment with the slit portions of said tear lines and spaced from said guide tabs by opposed notches, said arresting tab entering the first of said slits as material is withdrawn from the container whereby bags of predetermined lengths may be severed along successive tear lines with the material on each side of the arresting tab being supported within said opposed notches.

2. In combination, a container for the shipping, storing and successive dispensing of thermoplastic bags of predetermined lengths, and a continuous roll thereof produced from tubular material which has been sealed transversely at spaced intervals and provided with a transversely disposed tear line adjacent each transverse seal, said container being provided with a dispensing orifice having an edge over which material being dispensed is withdrawn,

said container including front, bottom, rear and top wall portions disposed in contiguous longitudinal edge to edge relationship and an end wall portion formed contiguous with each free edge of the bottom wall portion, each end wall portion including an extending top flap, and means for attaching said front and rear wall portions to the adjacent end wall portion, the free edge of the front wall portion comprising the edge over which material being dispensed is withdrawn, said free edge being provided with a guide tab adjacent each extremity thereof and also being provided with an integral centrally located arresting tab spaced from said guide tabs by opposed notches, said arresting tab entering the first of said tear lines as material is withdrawn from the container whereby bags of predetermined lengths may be severed along successive tear lines with the material on each side of the arresting tab being supported within said opposed notches.

3. In combination, a container for the shipping, storing and successive dispensing of thermoplastic bags of predetermined lengths, and a continuous roll thereof produced from tubular material which has been sealed transversely at spaced intervals and provided with a transversely disposed tear line adjacent each transverse seal, said container being provided with a dispensing orifice having an edge over which material being dispensed is withdrawn, said container including front, bottom, rear and top wall portions disposed in contiguous longitudinal edge to edge relationship and an end wall portion formed contiguous with each free edge of the bottom wall portion,

each end wall portion including an extending top flap, and means for attaching said front and rear wall portions to the adjacent end wall portion, at least one edge of the dispensing orifice being provided with an integral substantially centrally located arresting tab over which material being withdrawn passes, said arresting tab entering the first of said tear lines as material is withdrawn from the container whereby bags of predetermined lengths may be severed along successive tear lines.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,308,253 'Broeren Nov. 24, 1942 2,316,469 Thor Apr. 13, 1943 2,331,651 Broeren Oct. 12, 1943 2,361,528 Beloud Oct. 31, 1944 2,391,112 Wolteger et a1 Dec. 18, 1945 2,723,718 Bright Nov. 15, 1955 2,759,648 Piazze Aug. 2 1, 1956 

1. IN COMBINATION, A CONTAINER FOR THE SHIPPING, STORING AND SUCCESSIVE DISPENSING OF THERMOPLASTIC BAGS OF PREDETERMINED LENGTHS, AND A CONTINUOUS ROLL THEREOF PRODUCED FROM TUBULAR MATERIAL WHICH HAS BEEN SEALED TRANSVERSELY AT SPACED INTERVALS AND PROVIDED WITH A TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED TEAR LINE ADJACENT EACH TRANSVERSE SEAL, EACH OF SAID TEAR LINES INCLUDING A CENTRALLY LOCATED SLIT, SAID CONTAINER BEING PROVIDED WITH A DESPENSING ORIFICE HAVING AN EDGE OVER WHICH MATERIAL BEING DISPENDED IS WITHDRAWN, SAID EDGE BEING PROVIDED WITH A GUIDE TAB ADJACENT EACH EXTREMITY THEREOF OVER WHICH MATERIAL TO BE WITHDRAWN IS SUPPORTED AND ALSO BEING PROVIDED WITH AN INTEGRAL CENTRALLY LOCATED ARRESTING TAB LOCATED IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE SLIT PORTIONS OF SAID TEAR LINES AND SPACED FROM SAID GUIDE TABS BY OPPOSED NOTCHES, SAID ARRESTING TAB ENTERING THE FIRST OF SAID SLTS AS MATERIAL IS WITHDRAWN FROM THE CONTAINER WHEREBY BAGS OF PREDETERMINED LENGTHS MAY BE SEVERED ALONG SUCCESSEVE TEAR LINES WITH THE MATERIAL ON EACH SAID TO THE ARRESTING TAB BEING SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID OPPOSED NOTCHES. 